johnnyispy Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Monday night after a time lapse expedition I noticed this sound within the timing compartment. The question is - is this sound from a broken idle pulley? And if it is how long can I drive like this as my trusted mechanic is a 170 km drive alway - including my day trip planned for Thursday. I just noticed the sound yesterday and don't know how long it has been making this sound. The car seems perfectly fine on the open road. Thanks for any feed back because the engine was rebuilt and I was due to replace the belt this spring. Kind Regards and many thanks for any replies in advance! Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Can you take a video of snapping the throttle? It's probably an idler but I would like to hear it rev up and down a bit. Quickly snap it open and closed a few times. Also need to know which year. GD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyispy Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) Give me a sec and I will - I am due to shoot a 12 hour time lapse tomorrow at Sunshine village - if I could drive up and not hitch hike would mean everything for more successful 14 hour day. From my studio to sunshine village is 48k return... up steep hills and down steep hills unfortunately... ...And then another 120 to the Subaru hospital the next day. will be back shortly - with the new video - enjoy this one while I am out making it.... Edited March 23, 2017 by johnnyispy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyispy Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) here we are... snapping the throttle... sorry for the delay.. many thanks for your feed back... Edited March 23, 2017 by johnnyispy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmdew Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I'd at least open up the timing and get a good visual. What year is it? 96 and later are interference engines and if it goes you will likely bend valves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 this: I'd at least open up the timing and get a good visual. What year is it? 96 and later are interference engines and if it goes you will likely bend valves. pull the side covers - 3 10mm bolts and takes 5 minutes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyispy Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) Will do with the cover removal. I won't drive her for more than 5 minutes until I do. I have had her for 250,000 and the engine does not have 96,000 on her yet as it was replaced under warranty because the mechanic tighten the belt to much when putting a new timing belt clutch in her back in the summer of 2011which snapped the timing bolt on the highway un the middle of no where. kindest regards, Johnny please enjoy my best time lapse so far for 2017! Edited March 23, 2017 by johnnyispy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 You can drive the car without timing covers. It's done all the time on purpose so it's totally fine for an emergency. Remove and leave them in the trunk until you figure this out. Keep in mind that risking this on a 97 or newer interference engine these usually bend valves if the belt fails. It's also possible to limp a bad bearing home. If it's still rotating and not locked up then get some grease in it. That will get you home. It's hard to get grease past the face seal but a $2 needle fitting in a grease gun pried under the bearing seal face will allow you to pump grease into it. Don't overfill as the grease needs room to move and expand with heat and motion. I rebuild older XT6 timing pulleys like this because they aren't available for anything but absurd prices. Done it tons of times for tens of thousands of miles. Even if you have to damagethe face seal it's not a big deal - at least it has grease. If you can't do it yourself you might be able to remove the timing covers, buy the $2 needle fitting at any auto store and hand it to a shop/mechanic who can do it for you. Or buy a grease gun and do it yourself. Alternately you can spray WD40 or grease in there as well. Might have to keep doing it but it will lubricate the bearings enough to get you home if you can get it past the face seal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Wd 40 won't stay there long, so that's very short time only . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I'd say it's not safe to drive it like that at all. That's the kind of noise that WILL leave you stranded when it finally decides to quit, and catastrophic engine damage will be the end result. This might be a $200 repair now. But it will be a $2,000 head gasket and valve job or engine replacement if you continue to drive the car. Possibly the timing tensioner has failed. The timing covers need to be removed to check the idlers and the tensioner. When those tensioners fail they flop up and down and make a noise similar to that. If that's the case it needs to be replaced. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Well it's hard to tell from the video. Could be internal, could be timing component. You definitely have an exhaust leak. Step one for me would be to stethoscope around the front of the engine and possibly run it with the acc. belts removed. The cut the oil filter (with a proper oil filter cutting tool) and check for signs of metal. If no metal and you still can't determine the source of the noise it's time to open the timing covers. If it's a 97 or 98, a timing belt failure will bend one or more of the intake valves. GD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyispy Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 Hello All !!! Before I say anything I want to say many thanks for all your help and input. After my weekend protocols I was able to remove the side panels. The belt looks good however after letting my Mechanic that I bought the car from in 2007 hear the noise throughout the phone he confirmed that the water pump pulley has gone bad and the car should not be driven. Fortunately I was able to make my shoot on Thursday and she did handle the 48 km round trip to the location. Thanks again for the help to prevent the loss of such a young rebuilt ej22 of under 96,000 kms. All the best and have a great spring everyone. Here is my Thursday production - made possible with my diligent 1998 Olympic Outback! Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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